Notre Dame protected the Chicagoland area when they landed receiver Miles Boykin. An All-State performer and a summer riser on the recruiting trail when he picked Notre Dame, Boykin’s a big-bodied physical receiver who has the look of an offensive mismatch.
At 6'3 and 225 pounds, Boykin has plenty of size—a bigger player than tight end Mike Heuerman already. But the Irish coaching staff believes Boykin has a future at the X receiver spot, capable of doing big things in space and in the red zone.
Let’s take a look at the incoming freshman.
MILES BOYKIN
6'3", 225 lbs.
Freshman, No. 81, WR
RECRUITING PROFILE
A Semper Fidelis All-American, Boykin was a consensus four-star prospect. He had offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Florida and Oregon among others.
UPDATE: As our buddy JJ Stankevitz points out, Boykin was named the Chicago Tribune’s Athlete of the Year -- No big deal.
FUTURE POTENTIAL
It’s hard not to think of Michael Floyd when you see a big, strong receiver like Boykin—especially with that size. But that’s not necessarily a fair comp to give a young guy who’ll have a much longer road to get onto the field.
Yet Boykin certainly impressed the Irish staff with his ability to go get the football and to do it in a physical manner. Notre Dame’s receivers have been missing that piece of the puzzle since Floyd went to the NFL, and Boykin certainly has the type of potential to do some great things.
I see a bit of Maurice Stovall in Boykin’s game, and deciding how large Boykin gets will likely dictate if he stays outside as a receiver, or grows into a flex player who could eventually turn into a versatile tight end prospect.
CRYSTAL BALL
Physicality will likely dictate if Boykin sees the field this season, as it’s hard to see too many balls coming his way. But thinking back to how James Onwualu got on the field and how Daniel Smith was utilized, Boykin might not be the receiver with the biggest recruiting profile, but if the Irish plan on running with Malik Zaire and a talented offensive line and Boykin shows himself willing, he could be taking those snaps.
But to pin Boykin’s future as a blocker doesn’t do much service to his athletic traits. On Signing Day, Brian Kelly talked about the mismatches Boykin can creates. While it might take a season or two for the Irish to need Boykin to provide the offensive boost, it looks like Notre Dame has a good one in the Illinois native.
THE 2015 IRISH A-to-Z
Josh Adams, RB
Josh Barajas, OLB
Nicky Baratti, S
Alex Bars, OL
Asmar Bilal, OLB
Hunter Bivin, OL
Grant Blankenship, DE
Jonathan Bonner, DE